Here is a short video clip I took of a Manta ray(Manta birostris) that approached me.
Mantas frequent reef-side cleaning stations where small fish such as wrasses and angelfish swim inside the manta's gills and all over its skin to feed, in the process cleaning it of parasites and removing bits of dead skin.
2008-10-07
2008-10-06
Maui 2008 - Day 7
On Saturday (October 4, 2008), Louis and I went scuba diving with Lahaina Divers. They were heading to Molokini since the weather had improved. Unfortunately, the current was too strong on the back wall of Molokini, which is considered to be one of the top dive sites in the Pacific. So we dove on the inner part of the crater. The water was considerably "bluer" than any previous diving and snorkeling we had done.
The first dive site was called "middle reef". We got into the water at 08:54 AM. We dove to 80 feet for 39 minutes. Water temperature was 81F. I wore a 3mm "shorty" wetsuit and had 12 lbs of weight.
After a surface interval of 54 minutes, we dove at a spot called "Aquarium". We dove to 63 feet for 38 minutes on the 2nd dive.
There were fun dives. On the way back to the harbor, some dolphins joined us on the way back.
After diving, we headed back to the hotel. Later that night, we had dinner at the famous Hali'imaile General Store. The website describes the restaurant like this: "Hali'imaile General Store is consistently rated one of Maui's Best Restaurants having won Honolulu Magazines’ Hale ‘Aina Award for Top Maui Restaurant 8 of the last 9 years among many other awards." After eating our dinner, I agree, this was the best food we had on Maui. We shared two appetizers, the Sashimi Napoleon (layers of smoked salmon, ahi tartare, sashimi ahi and crispy won tons with wasabi vinaigrette) and Bev’s “Famous” Crab Pizza (handmade six-inch pizza crust with the “I’ll never tell” crab topping). The crab pizza was very delicious. I can see why she safeguards the recipe. For dinner, I had one of the signature dishes, the Hunan style rack of lamb. It was delicious. Jennifer had the special, the miso glazed furikake Monchong. She loved it. For desert, we shared the Lilikoi Brûlée and Almond Brittle Cup, a rich Lilikoi Brûlée served in an almond brittle cup over fresh berries in a raspberry coulis. Dinner was awesome and a great way to end the trip.
By the way, this sign was funny:
The first dive site was called "middle reef". We got into the water at 08:54 AM. We dove to 80 feet for 39 minutes. Water temperature was 81F. I wore a 3mm "shorty" wetsuit and had 12 lbs of weight.
After a surface interval of 54 minutes, we dove at a spot called "Aquarium". We dove to 63 feet for 38 minutes on the 2nd dive.
There were fun dives. On the way back to the harbor, some dolphins joined us on the way back.
After diving, we headed back to the hotel. Later that night, we had dinner at the famous Hali'imaile General Store. The website describes the restaurant like this: "Hali'imaile General Store is consistently rated one of Maui's Best Restaurants having won Honolulu Magazines’ Hale ‘Aina Award for Top Maui Restaurant 8 of the last 9 years among many other awards." After eating our dinner, I agree, this was the best food we had on Maui. We shared two appetizers, the Sashimi Napoleon (layers of smoked salmon, ahi tartare, sashimi ahi and crispy won tons with wasabi vinaigrette) and Bev’s “Famous” Crab Pizza (handmade six-inch pizza crust with the “I’ll never tell” crab topping). The crab pizza was very delicious. I can see why she safeguards the recipe. For dinner, I had one of the signature dishes, the Hunan style rack of lamb. It was delicious. Jennifer had the special, the miso glazed furikake Monchong. She loved it. For desert, we shared the Lilikoi Brûlée and Almond Brittle Cup, a rich Lilikoi Brûlée served in an almond brittle cup over fresh berries in a raspberry coulis. Dinner was awesome and a great way to end the trip.
By the way, this sign was funny:
Maui 2008 - Day 6
On Friday (October 3, 2008), we went to the beach, visited Front Street in Lahaina (souvenir shops) and relaxed for rest of the day. Sounds boring, but that was the point.
Maui 2008 - Day 5
On Thursday (October 2, 2008) we had breakfast at The Plantation House Restaurant on the Kapalua Golf Course.
After breakfast, we went to snorkeling near the Black Rock at Kaanapali Beach. Kaanapali Beach is a 3 mile long stretch of white sand located on the western shore of Maui. The beach had a lot of people on it. Black Rock is a lava rock peninsula at the north end of the beach. Louis and I went snorkeling and the girls hung out on the beach.
As we headed back to shore, we came upon a sea turtle.
Snorkeling at Black Rock was fun and I highly recommend it. When we were done, we headed back to the hotel.
Later that evening, Jennifer and I went out to dinner to celebrate our wedding anniversary. We had dinner at the Pineapple Grill. Jennifer had the filet mignon and I had the miso and sake marinated tiger shrimp. We were given a complimentary pineapple upside-down cake. The Pineapple Grill was one of my favorite restaurants in Maui. If you go to Maui, you must eat at the Pineapple Grill.
After breakfast, we went to snorkeling near the Black Rock at Kaanapali Beach. Kaanapali Beach is a 3 mile long stretch of white sand located on the western shore of Maui. The beach had a lot of people on it. Black Rock is a lava rock peninsula at the north end of the beach. Louis and I went snorkeling and the girls hung out on the beach.
As we headed back to shore, we came upon a sea turtle.
Snorkeling at Black Rock was fun and I highly recommend it. When we were done, we headed back to the hotel.
Later that evening, Jennifer and I went out to dinner to celebrate our wedding anniversary. We had dinner at the Pineapple Grill. Jennifer had the filet mignon and I had the miso and sake marinated tiger shrimp. We were given a complimentary pineapple upside-down cake. The Pineapple Grill was one of my favorite restaurants in Maui. If you go to Maui, you must eat at the Pineapple Grill.
2008-10-02
Maui 2008 - Day 4
On Wednesday (October 1, 2008), we drove to Hāna. Hāna is located at the eastern end of the island of Maui and is one of the most isolated towns in the state. It is reached mainly via the Hāna Highway, a long, winding, 52 mile long highway along Maui's northern shore. There are a number of guides and books published on this famous road. It is indeed long, it is winding, and it can be dangerous. However, the danger factor is based purely on the other drivers. Some like to stop where they should not. Some like to take their eyes of the road. Some like to pass where they should not. In other words, if you were driving alone on this road, you would be in no more danger than any other winding road.
This journey took up most of the day. We left Kahana at 8:00 AM and proceeded onto the Hana Highway at 9:20 AM. We made a number of stops on the way to Hana. One stop was the Hookipa lookout. Ho‘okipa Beach Park is located on the north shore of Maui, Hawaii. It is perhaps the most renowned windsurfing site in the world. The waves here are largest during the winter, and break across a system of reefs that extend across the bay. During the summer the waves are smaller. Ho'okipa is ideal for windsurfing because of its large well-shaped waves and strong winds. The name Ho‘okipa means "hospitality" in Hawaiian. In the morning, there were about 50 surfers in the water.
Our next stop was a bamboo forest. The captain from the catamaran told us about this stop. We saw a few cars parked along the road, just as he described, so we knew we had the right place. Louis and I entered the dense bamboo forest.
It was dark and the bamboo appears to be impassable, but it was not. The further you venture into the forest, the thicker the bamboo trunks were. Eventually you come to a creek with mini waterfalls.
Very serene and beautiful. After a few minutes, we headed back to the SUV and got back on the road.
The next stop was the Garden of Eden, aka Maui Botanical Gardens & Aboretum. The gardens are described as "twenty-six acres of trails alive with brilliant colors, unique flowers, rare trees, and the sweet aroma of tropical blossoms in a uniquely natural island setting." We toured this for about 45 minutes.
We purchased and ate some bananas that were grown in the garden. We got back onto the road as more tourists arrived at the gardens.
As we continued our way to Hana, we stopped at a few waterfalls and snapped some photos.
We started to get hungry and had some local snacks at "Uncle Harry's", a little shack along the way.
I drank and ate a coconut. Jenn and I shared a smoothie of locally grown pineapple, mango, guava, and papaya. It was delicious. At another stop, I spotted a coffee sign. We stopped there and I got coffee and some macadamia nut cookies. The macadamia nuts were grown 20 feet from the home of the nice lady that made the cookies. The cookies were some of the best we ever had.
Finally, around 1:30 PM, we arrived in Hana. As others have said in many of the guides and books, there is not much to see in Hana. It is a very quiet and calm town with not much going on. I think the residents like the fact that their town has not been developed for tourism. We stopped for a while at Hamoa beach. Not much to say about this beach. It was beautiful and the photos speak for themselves.
On the way home, we didn't stop very much. We only stopped to take some photos are use a restroom. I did manage to get some pictures of windsurfers at Hookipa beach.
When we got back to the hotel, we made dinner ourselves. Overall, the drive to Hana was fun and it was very beautiful. The journey is not for the resort vacation type. If you are looking to do some shopping or other non-adventurous stuff, the drive to Hana is not for you. If you love nature and you like to see exotic foliage, beaches, and undeveloped nature, this is for you.
This journey took up most of the day. We left Kahana at 8:00 AM and proceeded onto the Hana Highway at 9:20 AM. We made a number of stops on the way to Hana. One stop was the Hookipa lookout. Ho‘okipa Beach Park is located on the north shore of Maui, Hawaii. It is perhaps the most renowned windsurfing site in the world. The waves here are largest during the winter, and break across a system of reefs that extend across the bay. During the summer the waves are smaller. Ho'okipa is ideal for windsurfing because of its large well-shaped waves and strong winds. The name Ho‘okipa means "hospitality" in Hawaiian. In the morning, there were about 50 surfers in the water.
Our next stop was a bamboo forest. The captain from the catamaran told us about this stop. We saw a few cars parked along the road, just as he described, so we knew we had the right place. Louis and I entered the dense bamboo forest.
It was dark and the bamboo appears to be impassable, but it was not. The further you venture into the forest, the thicker the bamboo trunks were. Eventually you come to a creek with mini waterfalls.
Very serene and beautiful. After a few minutes, we headed back to the SUV and got back on the road.
The next stop was the Garden of Eden, aka Maui Botanical Gardens & Aboretum. The gardens are described as "twenty-six acres of trails alive with brilliant colors, unique flowers, rare trees, and the sweet aroma of tropical blossoms in a uniquely natural island setting." We toured this for about 45 minutes.
We purchased and ate some bananas that were grown in the garden. We got back onto the road as more tourists arrived at the gardens.
As we continued our way to Hana, we stopped at a few waterfalls and snapped some photos.
We started to get hungry and had some local snacks at "Uncle Harry's", a little shack along the way.
I drank and ate a coconut. Jenn and I shared a smoothie of locally grown pineapple, mango, guava, and papaya. It was delicious. At another stop, I spotted a coffee sign. We stopped there and I got coffee and some macadamia nut cookies. The macadamia nuts were grown 20 feet from the home of the nice lady that made the cookies. The cookies were some of the best we ever had.
Finally, around 1:30 PM, we arrived in Hana. As others have said in many of the guides and books, there is not much to see in Hana. It is a very quiet and calm town with not much going on. I think the residents like the fact that their town has not been developed for tourism. We stopped for a while at Hamoa beach. Not much to say about this beach. It was beautiful and the photos speak for themselves.
On the way home, we didn't stop very much. We only stopped to take some photos are use a restroom. I did manage to get some pictures of windsurfers at Hookipa beach.
When we got back to the hotel, we made dinner ourselves. Overall, the drive to Hana was fun and it was very beautiful. The journey is not for the resort vacation type. If you are looking to do some shopping or other non-adventurous stuff, the drive to Hana is not for you. If you love nature and you like to see exotic foliage, beaches, and undeveloped nature, this is for you.
Maui 2008 - Day 3
On Tuesday (September 30, 2008), Louis and I went scuba diving with Ed Robinson's Diving Adventures. We had to be at the Kihei boat ramp (map) at 06:30 AM so that the boat could leave at 7:00 AM. We arrived at a little late, at 06:40 AM, but no one seemed to mind. It's difficult to get around Maui when you are in a hurry. We booked a dive trip to the Molokini crater. Molokini is an offshore crescent moon-shaped volcanic crater south of Ma‘alaea Bay, Maui, Hawaii and part of Maui County. It is a popular destination for scuba diving, snuba and snorkeling with many tourist boats coming each day from the south coast of Maui. Unfortunately, due to strong northerly winds, this popular dive site was too dangerous to dive. The captain picked another spot and we headed south, to the very southern tip of Maui. The seas were rough. We stopped at a site called Pinnacle Point. According to Ed Robinson's site:
"Pinnacle Point has some of the most dramatic shallow lava formations Maui has to offer: arches, valleys, canyons.... It's shallow enough for new divers (10 - 60 ft.), but will intrigue those who are advanced. If you're lucky, there may be turtles and the Queen (Golden) Enenue about. This is a great place for Photographers and divers looking for new places to explore."
We suited up and jumped into the water at 8:04 AM. The dive company provided us with 5mm wetsuits since the water was 80F (I'm used to diving with 12mm of neoprene in Monterey, CA where the water is 51F). This was nice because I only needed 16 lbs of weight. Louis and I and a few others were assigned to stay with Will, one of the dive masters. As we descended, I knew we were going to have a great time. The water was so blue and clear. As we headed a bit north, we saw the lava formations. Visibility started to decrease at this time, down to about 40'. There was a lot of surge in this area, but it was manageable. We saw quite a few interesting looking fish.
We also saw 3 moray eels on this dive.
But nothing could compare to the 6 ft wide Manta ray that came up to me. The Manta came within a few feet of me as a snapped some photos and a brief video clip from my Canon SD 790. Notice the purple and yellow striped fish around the Manta. These are "cleaner wrasses"
This dive lasted 43 minutes at a max depth of 54 feet. The air temperature was 81 F and the water temperature was 79 F. I wore a 5mm wetsuit, no gloves, no hood. I needed 16 lbs of weight.
For the second dive, we left this area and headed north to a spot called La Perouse Wall, in La Perouse Bay. La Perouse Bay is located south of the town of Wailea-Makena, Hawaii at the end of Makena Alanui Road (State Highway 31). The bay's Hawaiian name is Keoneoio. It was later named for the French explorer Captain Jean-François de Galaup, comte de La Pérouse. In 1786, La Pérouse surveyed and mapped the prominent embayment near the southern cape of Maui opposite the island of Kaho'olawe. The bay is the site of Maui's most recent volcanic activity.
We jumped into the water at 10:05 AM. During this dive, we say a number of beautiful fish and some in schools. We did notice a lot of fishing hooks, leaders, and lead weights strewn about the ocean floor. This was a disappointing reminder of how man continues to ruin the earth. Towards the end of the dive, I found two moray eels in a hole together. One was black, the other was white. I still need to identify these. This dive lasted 53 minutes with a max depth of 49 feet. The air and water temperatures were the same as the first dive. Visibility was also about 50 feet. Surge was high though.
While we were diving, the girls were enjoying a breakfast and a spa treatment at the Spa Grande Wailea.
After we met up, we ate a late lunch at Cheeseburger Island Style in Wailea.
Afterward, we did some very brief shopping at Wailea shopping center. Then we headed back to the hotel and cooked our own dinner.
"Pinnacle Point has some of the most dramatic shallow lava formations Maui has to offer: arches, valleys, canyons.... It's shallow enough for new divers (10 - 60 ft.), but will intrigue those who are advanced. If you're lucky, there may be turtles and the Queen (Golden) Enenue about. This is a great place for Photographers and divers looking for new places to explore."
We suited up and jumped into the water at 8:04 AM. The dive company provided us with 5mm wetsuits since the water was 80F (I'm used to diving with 12mm of neoprene in Monterey, CA where the water is 51F). This was nice because I only needed 16 lbs of weight. Louis and I and a few others were assigned to stay with Will, one of the dive masters. As we descended, I knew we were going to have a great time. The water was so blue and clear. As we headed a bit north, we saw the lava formations. Visibility started to decrease at this time, down to about 40'. There was a lot of surge in this area, but it was manageable. We saw quite a few interesting looking fish.
We also saw 3 moray eels on this dive.
But nothing could compare to the 6 ft wide Manta ray that came up to me. The Manta came within a few feet of me as a snapped some photos and a brief video clip from my Canon SD 790. Notice the purple and yellow striped fish around the Manta. These are "cleaner wrasses"
This dive lasted 43 minutes at a max depth of 54 feet. The air temperature was 81 F and the water temperature was 79 F. I wore a 5mm wetsuit, no gloves, no hood. I needed 16 lbs of weight.
For the second dive, we left this area and headed north to a spot called La Perouse Wall, in La Perouse Bay. La Perouse Bay is located south of the town of Wailea-Makena, Hawaii at the end of Makena Alanui Road (State Highway 31). The bay's Hawaiian name is Keoneoio. It was later named for the French explorer Captain Jean-François de Galaup, comte de La Pérouse. In 1786, La Pérouse surveyed and mapped the prominent embayment near the southern cape of Maui opposite the island of Kaho'olawe. The bay is the site of Maui's most recent volcanic activity.
We jumped into the water at 10:05 AM. During this dive, we say a number of beautiful fish and some in schools. We did notice a lot of fishing hooks, leaders, and lead weights strewn about the ocean floor. This was a disappointing reminder of how man continues to ruin the earth. Towards the end of the dive, I found two moray eels in a hole together. One was black, the other was white. I still need to identify these. This dive lasted 53 minutes with a max depth of 49 feet. The air and water temperatures were the same as the first dive. Visibility was also about 50 feet. Surge was high though.
While we were diving, the girls were enjoying a breakfast and a spa treatment at the Spa Grande Wailea.
After we met up, we ate a late lunch at Cheeseburger Island Style in Wailea.
Afterward, we did some very brief shopping at Wailea shopping center. Then we headed back to the hotel and cooked our own dinner.
Maui 2008 - Day 2
On Monday, (September 29, 2008) our plan was to see the sunrise on top of the Haleakala crater, a now inactive volcano. The crater is located in Haleakala National Park, a 28,655 acre park of which 19,270 acres are wilderness. We had to get up early to see the 06:09 AM sunrise. We got up at 3:00 AM and left Kahana at 3:40 AM. The road is very windy and may require the consumption of Dramamine or Bonine the night before. On the way there, we noticed some sugar cane fields on fire on the way to the crater. They appeared to be controlled burns. We arrived at the summit and parked our car at 05:40 AM. There were a number of cars (50+) and a few buses in the summit parking lot. Just before dawn, the period between dark and sunrise, we saw a lot of stars. The sky was very clear. I setup the camcorder and started to record the sunrise. We also took a lot of pictures.
Unfortunately, some people decided it was a good idea to take very young children to the summit. These two children cried and whined for the attention of their ignorant parents the entire time. Anyways, the sunrise was beautiful. You must do it once. I don't need to do it again. I have photos!
As we came down the mountain, we went zip-lining Skyline Eco Adventures. This was fun. If you decide to do this, you must book early! They are very popular and fill up fast. The ziplines zig zag down a long gorge at the base of Haleakala. The last zip line is over 600 ft long! As you approach each zipline, the guides give you a basic history of an endangered bird, one for each zipline. This was interesting. It was good to know that some of the zipline fee is given towards the conservation of endangered animals.
We stopped for a late breakfast at the Kula Lodge restaurant. The food was excellent. I had the malted belgian waffles and Jennifer had the standard breakfast with Portuguese sausage. The food was great and the view from our time was very nice.
After we ate, we went back to the hotel and got some much needed rest. Later that evening, we went on a sunset sailing cruise on board the Paragon, a sailing catamaran. Were were served mai tai's and beer. The food consisted of a fruit platter, fried egg rolls, and chicken breast strips. The sunset was beautiful and the water wasn't too choppy.
Unfortunately, some people decided it was a good idea to take very young children to the summit. These two children cried and whined for the attention of their ignorant parents the entire time. Anyways, the sunrise was beautiful. You must do it once. I don't need to do it again. I have photos!
As we came down the mountain, we went zip-lining Skyline Eco Adventures. This was fun. If you decide to do this, you must book early! They are very popular and fill up fast. The ziplines zig zag down a long gorge at the base of Haleakala. The last zip line is over 600 ft long! As you approach each zipline, the guides give you a basic history of an endangered bird, one for each zipline. This was interesting. It was good to know that some of the zipline fee is given towards the conservation of endangered animals.
We stopped for a late breakfast at the Kula Lodge restaurant. The food was excellent. I had the malted belgian waffles and Jennifer had the standard breakfast with Portuguese sausage. The food was great and the view from our time was very nice.
After we ate, we went back to the hotel and got some much needed rest. Later that evening, we went on a sunset sailing cruise on board the Paragon, a sailing catamaran. Were were served mai tai's and beer. The food consisted of a fruit platter, fried egg rolls, and chicken breast strips. The sunset was beautiful and the water wasn't too choppy.
Maui 2008 - Day 1
Jennifer and I are spending a week in Maui, with 2 of our friends, Louis and Jessica. We are staying at the Sands of Kahana hotel in Kahana, just north of Lahaina. Jennifer and I are celebrating our wedding anniversary on this trip. Our goal is to relax, enjoy some new sights and activities, and have fun.
On Sunday, the first day of the trip, we spent the entire day flying. We arrived in Kahalui, Maui around 2:30 PM HST (UTC -10). We headed straight to the hotel and then ate dinner at the Sands of Kahana restaurant. Nothing too spectacular on this day. More posts to follow.
On Sunday, the first day of the trip, we spent the entire day flying. We arrived in Kahalui, Maui around 2:30 PM HST (UTC -10). We headed straight to the hotel and then ate dinner at the Sands of Kahana restaurant. Nothing too spectacular on this day. More posts to follow.
2008-09-21
Off-road trails near Lake Almanor
While playing around with my GPS, the Garmin Nuvi 750, I noticed that there were a couple a paved roads that led to a number of unmarked roads on the mountain to the south of our campsite. Jennifer and I jumped into the Xterra and headed up the mountain. Eventually we reached a parking lot at the end of the road. From there an unpaved trail headed up the mountain. We followed this trail until we came to the top and found 4 different trails that branched off from the mail trail. We went back down to camp to tell some others about the trails and decided we would return later in the afternoon.
Most of the trails were very easy flat trails.
Some had obstables that needed to be moved or modified
Along one trail, we found this old wreck
The problem with many of these trails is that most had dead ends like this.
This dead end may not look very difficult, but had I gotten a better angle, you could see that there was no way to pass. Trees were in the way and the rut in the lower part of the photo overtook what was the trail. I wish these roads were better documented.
Overall it was fun and it was my Xterra's first off road experience. Now that I know these trails exist, I will be better prepared next time. I'll post the GPS info for these trails later.
Most of the trails were very easy flat trails.
Some had obstables that needed to be moved or modified
Along one trail, we found this old wreck
The problem with many of these trails is that most had dead ends like this.
This dead end may not look very difficult, but had I gotten a better angle, you could see that there was no way to pass. Trees were in the way and the rut in the lower part of the photo overtook what was the trail. I wish these roads were better documented.
Overall it was fun and it was my Xterra's first off road experience. Now that I know these trails exist, I will be better prepared next time. I'll post the GPS info for these trails later.
Camping near Lake Almanor
Every year, I join a group of 50+ people at a PG&E group campsite near Lake Almanor in Northern California. Although the camp ground has 5 cabins with 8 bunk beds each, we usually end up sleeping in tents to avoid the bugs and noise. Every year, there are a number of games that we play, someone involving just a few, some involving everyone. Usually everyone heads to the lake each day and will either wakeboard, water ski, rent wave runners, go kayaking, or swimming. I brought someone my snorkeling gear, but there was nothing interesting to see. Despite the great hiking nearby, no one ever goes hiking. Here are my photos from the trip. Note, some of these photos are just plain SILLY or lame. I decided to document the sillyness in the event any these young ones decide to get married in the future.
I wish I had more to write, but it's always a very laid back trip, where you can do as much as or as little as you want. Sometimes, we've felt so worn out that we needed a vacation after this vacation! It's not an adventurous trip at all.
One notable thing that I enjoyed this year was the discovery of some off-road trails just up the hill near or campsite! More about that in the next post.
I wish I had more to write, but it's always a very laid back trip, where you can do as much as or as little as you want. Sometimes, we've felt so worn out that we needed a vacation after this vacation! It's not an adventurous trip at all.
One notable thing that I enjoyed this year was the discovery of some off-road trails just up the hill near or campsite! More about that in the next post.
Backpacking in Yosemite NP
Earl, Patrick, Jennifer (Patrick's wife) and I went backpacking in Yosemite National Park in June 2008. Yosemite NP consists of 761,266 acres. Yosemite is internationally recognized for its spectacular granite cliffs, waterfalls, clear streams, Giant Sequoia groves, and biological diversity. Almost 95% of the park is designated wilderness. Yosemite NP is located in the eastern portions of Tuolumne, Mariposa and Madera counties in east central California, United States.
(Abbreviations used here: TM = Tuolumne Meadows; VP = Vogelsang High Sierra Camp; ML = Merced Lake; LY = Little Yosemite Valley; HI = Happy Isles)
We arrived at TM and obtained our wilderness permits right away. We also rented one more bear canister. I neglected to reserve one at REI and they were all reserved. Fortunately, I was able to rent a bear canister for $4 at the wilderness center. It turns out the wilderness centers have a vast stockpile.
The hike (6.8 mi) was beautiful. It was very easy in the beginning, however as the day progressed, so did the incline. We went from 8700' at TM to 10130' at VP. Along the way, we encountered only one unbridged crossing that required shoe removal.
The last 2 miles became more difficult due to some snow covering the trail.
The snow was packed so gaitors weren't needed. As expected, the depth and frequency of these snow patches increased the higher we got. After a long day, we eventually made it to our planned destination, the Vogelsang High Sierra Camp.
We setup camp near a tree and some large boulders that provided shelter from the wind.
Wildlife: We saw a few marmots towards the end of the day. Along with seeing marmots, one can expect to find marmot droppings too. Those happen to be near our camp area...gross.
Also, we encountered millions of mosquitoes. I was being eaten alive all day by mosquitos. More about that later.
The Rafferty Creek meanders throughout this meadow. Lots of baby rainbow trout in the clear water.
As we and descended towards Merced Lake, most of the trail was very close to the Rafferty creek.
As we got closer to Merced Lake, we encountered a well maintained, half mile switchback that took us down 800'. It wasn't the funnest part of the hike. As we descended, gray clouds moved in. We got our rain gear ready and kept going. Upon arriving at Merced Lake, we found that the tent cabins were not yet open for business. We had never planned to use a tent cabin, but the idea to use one was much more appealing than setting up our tent in the soon to arrive rain. So we did.
As soon as we started to unpack our gear, rain started to fall. The rain was pretty heavy and we could hear the nearby thunder. After the rain stopped, we went for a swim in the river feeding the lake. The water was very cold, but it felt good to clean up. We were really happy that we found these tent cabins. We didn't have to worry about drying off any gear. The mattresses on the beds were nice to have too.
Much of the hike would be along the ??? river, but not close enough to get water. We were on cliffs above the river. At some points there were no trees providing shade over the trail, but there were plenty of trees every else. In the morning, we smelled smoke, which we believed to be from last night's thunderstorm. We didn't spot any signs of a forest fire, however we did notice a haze that wasn't there before. Eventually we crossed a very modern and structurally sound looking bridge and went uphill to an unnamed ridge. We took a break on this giant slab of granite with a lone tree in the middle.
This spot had the best views of any spot we had stopped at. It was a nice place to cool down (very windy) and take the shoes off for a bit. From here, the rest of the hike was downhill and very easy. Much of the hike was along a dirt trail with lots of trees providing shade from the afternoon sun. However the mosquitoes were relentless. Eventually we got close to our destination, Little Yosemite Valley. You could clearly see half-dome despite the increasing haze from a fire of some sort. I should note that a traveling ranger passed me up. He scared the dayslights out of me be because I was walking ahead of my group for the last 30 minutes and was in my own "zone". I jumped 10 feet when he said "Excuse me". The intrepid ranger asked to see my permit. Of course, this had to be the one day that I packed the permit deep inside my pack, out of fear that the rain would damage the permit. So he told me not to worry about it, but to be prepared to show it at LYV.
We setup camp right away and began to prepare dinner.
The camp area is not very private. You are very close to people and can hear conversations. Sure enough a ranger stopped by and asked to see our permits. The rangers actually read the permits carefully. For the first time on the trip, I was able to get mobile phone reception. Yes, Verizon Wireless works in the Little Yosemite Valley area. We called home to let our loved ones know that all was ok and that we were on schedule.
The rest of my photos can be found on flickr.
(Abbreviations used here: TM = Tuolumne Meadows; VP = Vogelsang High Sierra Camp; ML = Merced Lake; LY = Little Yosemite Valley; HI = Happy Isles)
Route Plan
- Saturday: Vogelsang High Sierra Camp to Merced Lake (7.8 miles)
- Sunday: Merced Lake to Little Yosemite Valley (9.3 miles)
- Monday: Little Yosemite Valley to Curry Village (4.7 miles)
Day 1 - Friday
Because we didn't hike in the traditional loop style (start and end at your vehicle), we had to park on the Yosemite Valley floor and take a bus to TM. This is where we start our trip. The bus is operated by Tuolumne Meadows Tours. Tickets cost $14.50 for the one way trip and can be purchased over the phone in advance. The bus departs at 8:00 AM from Curry Village bus stop 13b. The bus takes 2 hours to get to TM. The driver was very nice, but insists on leaving on time. We were a few minutes late due to road work on the way in.We arrived at TM and obtained our wilderness permits right away. We also rented one more bear canister. I neglected to reserve one at REI and they were all reserved. Fortunately, I was able to rent a bear canister for $4 at the wilderness center. It turns out the wilderness centers have a vast stockpile.
The hike (6.8 mi) was beautiful. It was very easy in the beginning, however as the day progressed, so did the incline. We went from 8700' at TM to 10130' at VP. Along the way, we encountered only one unbridged crossing that required shoe removal.
The last 2 miles became more difficult due to some snow covering the trail.
The snow was packed so gaitors weren't needed. As expected, the depth and frequency of these snow patches increased the higher we got. After a long day, we eventually made it to our planned destination, the Vogelsang High Sierra Camp.
We setup camp near a tree and some large boulders that provided shelter from the wind.
Wildlife: We saw a few marmots towards the end of the day. Along with seeing marmots, one can expect to find marmot droppings too. Those happen to be near our camp area...gross.
Also, we encountered millions of mosquitoes. I was being eaten alive all day by mosquitos. More about that later.
Day 2 - Saturday
On Saturday, we broke camp and headed to Merced Lake. From this point on, the rest of the trip was a flat or downhill hike. Early in the day, we cut through a beautiful meadow with granite slabs lining the edges.The Rafferty Creek meanders throughout this meadow. Lots of baby rainbow trout in the clear water.
As we and descended towards Merced Lake, most of the trail was very close to the Rafferty creek.
As we got closer to Merced Lake, we encountered a well maintained, half mile switchback that took us down 800'. It wasn't the funnest part of the hike. As we descended, gray clouds moved in. We got our rain gear ready and kept going. Upon arriving at Merced Lake, we found that the tent cabins were not yet open for business. We had never planned to use a tent cabin, but the idea to use one was much more appealing than setting up our tent in the soon to arrive rain. So we did.
As soon as we started to unpack our gear, rain started to fall. The rain was pretty heavy and we could hear the nearby thunder. After the rain stopped, we went for a swim in the river feeding the lake. The water was very cold, but it felt good to clean up. We were really happy that we found these tent cabins. We didn't have to worry about drying off any gear. The mattresses on the beds were nice to have too.
Day 3 - Sunday
The next morning, we started out early since we didn't have to break down a camp. As we passed by, I took notice of Lake Merced. It's a lot bigger in person. If we had more time, I'm sure we could have spent a whole day here.Much of the hike would be along the ??? river, but not close enough to get water. We were on cliffs above the river. At some points there were no trees providing shade over the trail, but there were plenty of trees every else. In the morning, we smelled smoke, which we believed to be from last night's thunderstorm. We didn't spot any signs of a forest fire, however we did notice a haze that wasn't there before. Eventually we crossed a very modern and structurally sound looking bridge and went uphill to an unnamed ridge. We took a break on this giant slab of granite with a lone tree in the middle.
This spot had the best views of any spot we had stopped at. It was a nice place to cool down (very windy) and take the shoes off for a bit. From here, the rest of the hike was downhill and very easy. Much of the hike was along a dirt trail with lots of trees providing shade from the afternoon sun. However the mosquitoes were relentless. Eventually we got close to our destination, Little Yosemite Valley. You could clearly see half-dome despite the increasing haze from a fire of some sort. I should note that a traveling ranger passed me up. He scared the dayslights out of me be because I was walking ahead of my group for the last 30 minutes and was in my own "zone". I jumped 10 feet when he said "Excuse me". The intrepid ranger asked to see my permit. Of course, this had to be the one day that I packed the permit deep inside my pack, out of fear that the rain would damage the permit. So he told me not to worry about it, but to be prepared to show it at LYV.
We setup camp right away and began to prepare dinner.
The camp area is not very private. You are very close to people and can hear conversations. Sure enough a ranger stopped by and asked to see our permits. The rangers actually read the permits carefully. For the first time on the trip, I was able to get mobile phone reception. Yes, Verizon Wireless works in the Little Yosemite Valley area. We called home to let our loved ones know that all was ok and that we were on schedule.
Day 4 - Monday
The last day was upon us. We basically hiked down the Mist trail to the valley floor. I don't ever recommend taking the mist trail again. It was so clogged with tourists and the steps are horror on the body, particularly the one carrying a heavy backpack. Upon reaching the bottom, we took $5 showers at Camp Curry. This was really nice. Then we ate lunch at the Ahwanee Lodge Restaurant. I had a burger and some beer. Mmmm. Then we drove home.Trip Summary
Overall, this was a fun trip. We all had fun and no one got hurt. I was however, inflicted with 240 mosquito bites. It turns out that "natural repellents" don't work at all. In my experience, natural repellents, which contain a number of natural oils, can actually cause sunburn. Stay away from these types of products. Use DEET. If you are afraid of DEET, find something with Picaridin, which works just as well, in my experience. Never go backpacking in the month of June without multiple types of repellent. Invest in a mosquito net. REI rents the MSR windpro canister stove. This worked great and packs really small. The canister is not under the burner, so you don't have to worry about hipping over the Leaning Tower of Pisae that is your cookware.The rest of my photos can be found on flickr.
2008-07-01
Backpacking in Desolation Wilderness
Louis, Patrick and I went backpacking in the Desolation Wilderness in September 2007. The Desolation Wilderness consists of 63,960 acres of sub-alpine and alpine forest, granite peaks, and glacially-formed valleys and lakes. It is located west of Lake Tahoe and north of Highway 50 in El Dorado County.
Route Plan
Day 1 - Friday (Glen Alpine Trailhead to Clyde Lake - 7.1 miles)
Day 2 - Saturday (Clyde Lake to Velma Lake - 6.3 miles)
Day 3 - Sunday (Velma Lake to Gilmore Lake - 5.9 miles)
Day 4 - Monday (Gilmore Lake to Glen Alpine Trailhead - 4.3 miles)
Day 1 - Friday
On Friday morning, we obtained our wilderness permits from the Pacific Ranger District office located four miles east of Pollock Pines on Highway 50. We drove to and parked at the Glen Alpine trailhead. There is plenty of parking available, including a composting restroom, and a bear-proof dumpster. We set out at the Glen Alpine trailhead around 10:00.
The hike started out as a long uphill switchback.
We passed along Susie Lake, but didn't stop.
We also passed by Heather Lake and didn't stop here either.
Eventually we arrived at Lake Aloha.
At this point, we feared we would not make it to Clyde Lake as planned. A number of factors contributed to this decision. For one, we were not in the greatest shape. Second, the altitude gains (approx 2125') made on this day were taking their toll. Third, the very rocky trails slowed us down quite a bit. Fourth, we wanted to setup camp and eat dinner before dark. We could see why the last leg of this hike was rated difficult on the US Forest Service website.
We decided it was in our best interests to camp at Lake Aloha instead. This was no disappointment. Anyone who passes by Lake Aloha should camp there, in my opinion. The water was crystal clear and didn't taste bad at all.
Day 2 - Saturday
We broke camp and headed on to Clyde Lake. We decided that we were *only* 1.7 miles from where we wanted to be. Boy, were we in for a surprise. The trail to and from Clyde Lake was VERY difficult.
So when we reached Clyde Lake, we decided that we were going to kill ourselves trying to do what we planned. We really had no clear idea what the terrain was going to be like the next few days and since we were unpleasantly surprised, we decided to err on the side of caution. We spent the day hanging out at Clyde Lake and camped there for the evening. It was nice to kick back, relax, and do some fishing. One of the books I consulted mentioned that Clyde Lake had plenty of trout. We fished all day to no avail. Not one fish jumped ALL DAY, even during feeding times. I resolved to return this book, as the author was incorrect about the fishing and didn't even mention a word about the difficult trail to Clyde Lake.
Day 3 - Sunday
We broke camp and headed back in the direction we came from. Our original planned hike was a loop, so we could not proceed along that route. We had to backtrack. I was disappointed at first, but didn't mind. We went passed by Lake Aloha again, but kept on going after refilling our water bottles.
We kept going and passed through Heather Lake. We looked for a place to camp, but didn't see anything we liked. As we came upon Susie Lake, we noticed quite a bit of camping areas as we circled the lake. We found a nice area that was protected from wind and in walking distance (but not too close) to the lake. After setting up camp around 15:00 we started fishing. It was fun to relax for a bit, but the fish weren't biting. I moved to a small cove with some nice shade. Before you knew it, we started catching fish. We caught a total of 6 trout between the three of us, but only kept 3 and safely released the others. We cleaned and cooked the trout right away. Thanks to the spices provided by my wife, the meal was delicious.
Day 4 - Monday
We broke camp for the last time and hiked down to the trailhead. It only took us 2 hours. The first thing we did when we got down was to call our loved ones and let them know we were ok. Then we had a some delicious and well-earned burgers and fries at Bert's Cafe. Then we drove home.
There are a number of trails and places to visit in the Desolation Wilderness. I plan to return again. The rest of the photos from the trip are on located on Flickr.
Route Plan
Day 1 - Friday (Glen Alpine Trailhead to Clyde Lake - 7.1 miles)
- Start at Glen Alpine Trailhead
- Take road 12N16 to start of Glen Alpine Trail - 1.2 miles
- Take trail 17E06 to PCT/TRM juntion - 2.5 miles
- Take PTC/TRM toward Aloha Lake - 1.7 miles
- Take trail 16E30 through Mosquito Pass to Clyde Lake - 1.7 milesCamp at Clyde Lake
Day 2 - Saturday (Clyde Lake to Velma Lake - 6.3 miles)
- Break Camp
- Take trail 16E30 to China Flat - 2.5 miles
- Take trail 16E30 to Camper Flat - 2.1 miles
- Take trail 17E34 to PCT/TRM - 1.7 miles
- Camp at Velma Lake
Day 3 - Sunday (Velma Lake to Gilmore Lake - 5.9 miles)
- Break Camp
- Take PTC/TRM to Gilmore Lake - 5.9 miles
- Visit Dick's Peak on the way
- Camp at Gilmore Lake
Day 4 - Monday (Gilmore Lake to Glen Alpine Trailhead - 4.3 miles)
- Break Camp
- Take PTC/TRM to trail 17E06 - 0.6 miles
- Take trail 17E06 to road 12N16 - 2.5 miles
- Take road 12N16 to parking lot - 1.2 miles
- Drive home
Day 1 - Friday
On Friday morning, we obtained our wilderness permits from the Pacific Ranger District office located four miles east of Pollock Pines on Highway 50. We drove to and parked at the Glen Alpine trailhead. There is plenty of parking available, including a composting restroom, and a bear-proof dumpster. We set out at the Glen Alpine trailhead around 10:00.
The hike started out as a long uphill switchback.
We passed along Susie Lake, but didn't stop.
We also passed by Heather Lake and didn't stop here either.
Eventually we arrived at Lake Aloha.
At this point, we feared we would not make it to Clyde Lake as planned. A number of factors contributed to this decision. For one, we were not in the greatest shape. Second, the altitude gains (approx 2125') made on this day were taking their toll. Third, the very rocky trails slowed us down quite a bit. Fourth, we wanted to setup camp and eat dinner before dark. We could see why the last leg of this hike was rated difficult on the US Forest Service website.
We decided it was in our best interests to camp at Lake Aloha instead. This was no disappointment. Anyone who passes by Lake Aloha should camp there, in my opinion. The water was crystal clear and didn't taste bad at all.
Day 2 - Saturday
We broke camp and headed on to Clyde Lake. We decided that we were *only* 1.7 miles from where we wanted to be. Boy, were we in for a surprise. The trail to and from Clyde Lake was VERY difficult.
So when we reached Clyde Lake, we decided that we were going to kill ourselves trying to do what we planned. We really had no clear idea what the terrain was going to be like the next few days and since we were unpleasantly surprised, we decided to err on the side of caution. We spent the day hanging out at Clyde Lake and camped there for the evening. It was nice to kick back, relax, and do some fishing. One of the books I consulted mentioned that Clyde Lake had plenty of trout. We fished all day to no avail. Not one fish jumped ALL DAY, even during feeding times. I resolved to return this book, as the author was incorrect about the fishing and didn't even mention a word about the difficult trail to Clyde Lake.
Day 3 - Sunday
We broke camp and headed back in the direction we came from. Our original planned hike was a loop, so we could not proceed along that route. We had to backtrack. I was disappointed at first, but didn't mind. We went passed by Lake Aloha again, but kept on going after refilling our water bottles.
We kept going and passed through Heather Lake. We looked for a place to camp, but didn't see anything we liked. As we came upon Susie Lake, we noticed quite a bit of camping areas as we circled the lake. We found a nice area that was protected from wind and in walking distance (but not too close) to the lake. After setting up camp around 15:00 we started fishing. It was fun to relax for a bit, but the fish weren't biting. I moved to a small cove with some nice shade. Before you knew it, we started catching fish. We caught a total of 6 trout between the three of us, but only kept 3 and safely released the others. We cleaned and cooked the trout right away. Thanks to the spices provided by my wife, the meal was delicious.
Day 4 - Monday
We broke camp for the last time and hiked down to the trailhead. It only took us 2 hours. The first thing we did when we got down was to call our loved ones and let them know we were ok. Then we had a some delicious and well-earned burgers and fries at Bert's Cafe. Then we drove home.
There are a number of trails and places to visit in the Desolation Wilderness. I plan to return again. The rest of the photos from the trip are on located on Flickr.
2008-03-28
CanSecWest 2008
I just attended CanSecWest, an annual information security conference in Vancouver, Canada. This was my first time attending the conference, so I wasn't sure what to expect. There are a few things I really liked about this conference, compared to others.
- One single track in one ballroom. You won't have to run around to different parts of the hotel to find seating in overcrowded ballrooms only to find out the material being presented was lame. There were plenty of seats available and all the presentations were interesting.
- The organizer is a nice guy. I've never met Dragos Riu, the conference organizer. He seems to be a nice guy and did a good job of keeping things in order. He even sits in on many of the sessions.
- Great speakers with great content. Some were WAY over my head, but I never felt like I could have done a better job. That may sound weird, but I feel that way about some sessions at other conferences.
- Lots of interesting people attend. This conference attracts some famous/infamous people in the security industry, but isn't so large that you can't talk to them. I met Theo De Raadt, the founder and leader of the OpenBSD and OpenSSH projects. Theo is known for his terse and blunt means of communication on the various OpenBSD lists, but in person, he is very different. I also spoke with Dan Kaminsky, who sat out most of the conference to hack the Windows laptop. I don't know if he was successful. Marty Roesch was there to speak about Snort 3.0. Fyodor, creator of nmap, was also there.
I enjoyed all of the sessions. My favorite sessions were:
- Virtually Secure - Oded Horovitz, VMWare
- Cross-Site Scripting Vulnerabilities in Flash Authoring Tools - Rich Cannings, Google
- Cold Memory Forensics Workshop - Tom Liston and Sherri Davidoff, Intelguardians
- Snort 3.0 - Marty Roesch, Sourcefire
- Malicious Cryptography - Frédéric Raynal, Sogeti/Cap-Gemini
When you're not attending the sessions, you can sign up for a 30 minute slot to hack a computer. The contest is called PWN2OWN. The goal is, if you hack into it, you get to keep it. This year's targets were:
- Sony VAIO VGN-TZ37CN running Ubuntu 7.10
- Fujitsu U810 running Vista Ultimate SP1
- MacBook Air running OSX 10.5.2
All systems were fully patched right before the contest started. The MacBook was the first to get 0wn3d, via Safari, after 10 minutes. I think the Mac will always get targeted first because it is the best prize. ;-)
I will definitely attend CanSecWest 2009. I hope to be a regular.
2008-03-04
Xterra Forums
I found a few forums dedicated to the Nissan Xterra. There seem to be a number of experienced 4x4'ers and mechanics in these forums. Searching through these forums should help me learn a lot about what to do and what not to do when fixing, upgrading, and maintaining my new Xterra.
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